Looking around, there's a lot of orange and black on display for Halloween, but another color is also making an appearance - pink! Yes, it's that time of year again; October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Not only can you as a nurse practitioner support the cause by attending an community event like a 5K for the cure, you can raise awareness in your practice.

My household project for the week (OK, the month...) has been cleaning out my closet. We've been doing a mini reno at our house which has called for the relocation of my wardrobe so it seems like the perfect time to pare down and give away items I promise myself I will wear but that never seem to actually make the cut when I'm getting ready for the day. As I've sorted through my style-related belongings, I've also realized I could use a wardrobe refresher - particularly when it comes to my professional dress.

When I tell people I work as a nurse practitioner in the emergency department, the reaction is often something along the lines of "I bet that's exciting!". While I do love my job, the truth is that working even in the emergency setting does lend itself to a routine. The novelty of the ED wears off, there is a pattern even to the kinds of emergencies an NP can expect to encounter in the department. Nurse practitioners enjoy careers packed with variety and opportunity, but like other professionals are subject to the "more of the same" mentality. So, how do you choose a job you won't get tired of?

A few years ago I hit a pretty rough patch in my Nurse Practitioner career. Being neither a new graduate nor a seasoned practitioner, I was having a hard time finding my seat at the table. My idyllic view of what it meant to be a NP was starting to get overshadowed by doubt regarding myself and the profession. These feelings progressively pulled me in a downward spiral of self-sabotaging beliefs. It was an awkward and frustrating space for me.

My father is a physician, so I was used to family and friends constantly calling our home asking a health question or two. As a kid, I enjoyed the benefits of having a parent in healthcare. I rarely went to my pediatrician, and rather was diagnosed with a viral illness here and there from the comfort of our living room sofa. Over the counter medications along with a prescription or two, were stockpiled in our cabinets. I was even taken in the back entrance of the hospital for an off-the-record X-ray or two after sports related injuries.

In my first years as a nurse practitioner I worked more than full-time. I picked up extra shifts and took on PRN positions in addition to a full-time job. I busted my booty to save money to buy a house, a much needed vehicle upgrade, and overall establish myself as a working adult in a successful career. Then, in 2012, I founded MidlevelU which became my side-gig. Five years later and counting, the day-in and day-out operations of MidlevelU have become a more than full-time commitment and I have adjusted my schedule working as a nurse practitioner in the emergency department accordingly. I maintain PRN positions with a few local hospitals and work seeing patients one or two days a week.

It’s that time a year again! Whether you’re starting the first year of your nurse practitioner program or your last, chances are that you’ve already been bombarded on all fronts with reminders to buy your back to school supplies. Afterall, nothing screams new school year like a package of freshly sharpened pencils, am I right? Regardless of if you’re excited for the start of a new semester or not, these fun twists on back to school supplies will definitely make you laugh.

Is 2017 getting away from you? It seems that way for me. Looking at the calendar the other day, my initial inclination that I had some time for fall planning was quickly proven incorrect. Yes, it is time to start thinking about schedules for October and November. Before you know it, we'll be heading into the holiday season when the days really start to whiz past. So, if you've still got your nurse practitioner continuing education stipend burning a hole in your pocket, it's time to make a decision about which conference you'll attend this year.

Although I have worked as a nurse practitioner for nearly 10 years, I still have a lot to learn. The world of medicine is vast, so it's inevitable that patients will ask questions I don't have an answer to or that I'll need to refer for specialty care. Earlier in my career, I worried that such "I don't know" moments damaged my credibility as a healthcare provider among patients and coworkers alike. I've come to realize, however, that not knowing the answer typically does not put an NP's reputation at stake. Rather, there are a number of mistakes that nurse practitioners make that can damage credibility in a big way.

Happy Monday! Going back to work after a summertime weekend can be tough. You're likely find yourself longing to be at the pool or enjoying the great outdoors rather than stuck in a windowless medical office or the hospital. Whether you love or loathe your current position as a nurse practitioner, bad days happen. A combination of stress, overwork and tough cases can leave even the most optimistic NP feeling less than enthused at the end of the day.

Working up the nerve to ask for a raiseas a nurse practitioner takes a lot of guts. When you finally do pitch your case to your boss, it can be quite frustrating when the answer is "no". Whatever the reasoning may be, if you have done your research and presented a solid pitch with indisputable facts that show that your compensation is not up to par, it can be tempting to look for employment elsewhere; but don’t plan your exit strategy just yet.

Unfortunately stress in the workplace is all too common for nurse practitioners, and some days it may even feel as though it’s part of your job description. When not combated, chronic stress can begin take a serious toll on your physical and mental health. Although long term strategies like daily exercise have proven to be highly effective in reducing stress, often times we face more immediate situations in our workday in which we need a quick and effective solution in dealing with mounting tension. Here are six ways to reduce stress while sitting at your desk.